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Patel Won’t Rule Out FBI at the Polls on Election Day

Patel said agents would only enter polling sites if a law violation occurs, after senators pressed him on FBI presence at the midterm vote.

  • On Tuesday, FBI Director Kash Patel testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee, refusing to commit to keeping federal agents away from polling places during the midterm elections.
  • Amid President Donald Trump's repeated claims that the 2020 election was "Rigged," Democrats sought assurances that federal officials would follow the law, which carries a potential five-year prison sentence for violations.
  • Senator Peter Welch pressed Patel during the hearing, prompting the FBI director to state: "On election day, the FBI will follow the law. If there's a reason to go there because there's been a violation of the law, we will."
  • Election crimes coordinators are stationed across all 56 FBI field offices, Patel confirmed, maintaining that agents will respond to potential legal violations on Election Day.
  • Controversial hiring standard changes also drew scrutiny, with Patel defending the removal of automatic disqualifications for theft or bestiality, asserting the agency did not want to "punish victims of bestiality.
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The New Republic broke the news on Tuesday, September 15, 2026.
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